Oil seal



Nov. 27, 1951 CHAMBERS, JR Re. 23,431

OIL SEAL Original Filed Aug. 4, 1948 INVENTOR 6 1557? 7 m ("RH/75525 L/EA' fTORNEY Reiaued Nov. 27, 1951 on. SEAL Albert M. Chambers, J r.,Palmyra, N. Y., assignor to The Gal-lock Packing Company, Palmyra, N.Y., a corporation of New York Original No. 2,542,234, dated February 20,1951, Serial No. 42,375, August 4, 1948. Application for reissue June 9,1951, Serial No. 230,827

Matter enclosed in heavy brackets appears in the original patent butforms no part of this reissue specification; matter printed in italicsindicates the additions made by reissue.

8 Claims.

The present invention relates to oil seals such as are used for sealingan annular space between two relatively movable machine elements, suchas for example, a rotatable shaft and an opening in a machine housingthrough which the shaft extends; and the invention relates also to animproved economical method of producing such oil seals.

Such oil seals have commonly included a cylindrical metal shell withinor upon which a flexible sealing ring has been mounted. The shellordinarily is press-fitted within or upon one of the two machineelements being sealed, and the sealing ring ordinarily effects a sealboth with the mentioned cylindrical shell and with the other machineelement. The mentioned flexible sealing element have usuall beenprovided with a radially extending base portion which effects a seal atits periphery with a cylindrical portion of the shell, and also havebeen provided with an integral axially extending sealing flange whicheffects a running seal with a shaft or other machine element beingsealed.

In oil seal structures as hereinbefore described, it has usually beenconsidered desirable to provide spring means either in the form of aflat metal finger spring or a garter coil spring disposed at the side ofthe sealing flange remote from the latters sealing surface, such aspring being provided to assure adequate sealing contact of the sealingflange.

One condition, which heretofore has limited the measure of economy thatcould be introduced into the production of such oil seals, has arisenfrom the fact that the sealing ring ordinarily has been made entirely ofrelatively soft flexible material, such as soft rubber or syntheticrubber or equivalent flexible material (all of which materials arehereinafter referred to for convenience merely as rubber), and thementioned radially extending base portion of the sealing ring, inconsequence, has been so yieldable that it has been necessary to placeseparate rigid supporting means at opposite sides thereof to hold it inits proper position and to enable said base portion to properly supportthe sealing flange which is integral therewith. Thus, it has been commonpractice to have one metal ring, sometimes called a. filler ring,disposed at one side of the base portion of the sealing element and tohave another separate metal ring disposed at the opposite side thereof,and then to have all three mentioned parts clamped within the metalshell of the oil seal to constitute the latter as a unitary structure.

Another drawback in prior structures "has arisen from the fact that thementioned metal rings, employed at opposite sides of the base portion ofthe sealing element, necessarily had to extend from a periphery of thementioned base portion, radially, to a substantial extent, toward apoint where the sealing flange adjoins the mentioned base portion. Thiscondition usually causes one of the mentioned supporting rings, usuallythe filler ring, to limit the radial space available for flexing of thesealing flange in response to malalignment as between the two machineelements being sealed, or in response to whipping of one of saidelements when rotating at high speeds; I

In addition, it has been found that for some purposes a garter coilspring is to be preferred over a flat metal spring; and as such a garterspring is considerably thicker and requires more clear space for radialflexing with a sealing flange in the presence of such malalignment orwhipping action, it follows that the use of a filler ring of substantialradial dimensions severely limits the freedom of flexing of the sealingflange with such an associated garter spring, and also, requires thatthe oil seal be of substantial dimension through a radial sectionthereof.

The mentioned difliculty, wherein a filler ring of substantial radialdimension has operated to limit the possible radial flexing of thesealing flange, has been overcome byusing two rings in place of a singlefiller ring, one of said rings functioning to support the radiallyextending portion of the sealing element and the other ring being ofreduced radial dimension and serving as a filler, while, nevertheless,permitting sufficient flexing of the sealing flange. This lastmentionedexpedient, however, introduces another element into the assembly withattendant excessive costs of manufacture and assembly.

Another drawback of prior oil seal structures arises from the fact thatwhere supporting rings are used at opposite sides of the base portion ofa flexible sealing element said rings usually contact the cylindricalportion of the oil seal and only a relatively small peripheral surfaceof the sealing element contacts the shell. Thus, the sealing effectbetween the sealing element and the shell is severely limited, and themetal-tometal contact between the several supporting rings and the shelldoes not form as good a seal as could be desired.

According to the present invention, these difflculties are obviated bymolding the flexible sealing element directly upon a metal ring. whichgives to the base portion of the sealing element all the support that itrequires. In addition, this metal ring is purposely designed so that itdoes not extend to the periphery of the base portion of the sealingelement which is in sealing contact with the cylindrical part of theshell, so that a very substantial peripheral area of the rubber portionof the base of the sealing ring is in intimate and very effectivesealing contact with the shell.

In addition, by providing this metal ring molded as an integral part ofthe sealing element, it is possible to omit the filler ring or to employa single. filler ring which need only engage the base portion of thesealing element at a relatively limited marginal portion adjacent theperiphery thereof. Hence, the filler ring may be relatively small inradial dimension and, as a result, the oil seal may be of much smallerradial sectional dimension than would otherwise be possible and yetafford ample room for the flexing of the sealing flange and a gartercoil spring as a result of the mentioned malalignment or whippingaction.

A drawback heretofore encountered in connection with the production ofsuch oil seals has been the necessity of providing separate molds forforming the different sizes of sealing elements needed for eachdifferent radial size of oil seal. According to the present invention, aquantity of oversize sealing elements may be molded in a single moldassembly and then be cut to the different sizes needed in the differentsizes of oil seals to be produced, so that, from a single mold, it ispossible to produce the sealing elements in volume for a variety ofsizes of oil seals.

Thus, an important object of the present invention is the provision of aflexible sealing element having a base portion with a rigid stiffeningring fixed thereto in the production of the sealing element, therebysubstantially obviating the need for other radial support of the baseportion when the sealing element is assembled in a complete oil seal.

Another important object of the invention is the provision of a sealingelement having a selfsupporting base portion and also having arelatively soft rubber peripheral portion of substantial area forsealing contact with the oil seal shell.

Another important object of the invention is the provision of spacing orflller means in association with such a self-supporting base portion ofa sealing element which need only coact with a relatively limited sidearea near the periphery of the said base portion of such a sealingelement, and, hence may be of very limited radial dimension, therebyaffording ample space for flexing of the sealing flange and of a garterspring associated with the latter, and also permitting the production ofan oil seal of substantially limited radial [section] sectionaldimension.

Another important object is the provision of an improved method ofmanufacturing such oil seals in quantities of different sizes.

The foregoing and other objects are accomplished in an oil seal and inthe production of an oil seal of which several illustrative embodimentsare shown in the accompanying drawing,

in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a preferred embodiment of an oil sealaccording to this invention, partly cut away to showthe oil seal inradial section:

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the sealing element shown in Fig. 1 as viewedfrom the left side of that figure;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the portion of the oil seal which is shownin section in Fig. l, but illustrated in association with a machinecasing and a shaft therein of which only fragmentary portions are shown;and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but illustrating another preferredembodiment of the invention in which the oil seal is of somewhat reducedradial sectional diameter.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 3, the oil seal comprises a somewhatcup-shaped metal shell ll having a cylindrical wall I2 of a diameteraffording a substantially oil-tight press-fit within a circular openingin a machine casing l3 or the like, and an integral radial flange l4defining a circular opening I5 through which may extend a shaft l6.

Within the shell II are disposed a sealing element I1 and a filler ring18, which are held within the shell in side-by-side relationship bybeing clamped between the flange ll at one side of the shell and asomewhat smaller radial flange I5 which is formed'by swaging in an edgeportion of the cylindrical wall I2 of the shell after the sealingelement l1 and the filler ring IB have been disposed in said shell.

The sealing element H has an annular stifiening portion 20 which maypreferably be of suitable metal, but optionally may be formed of othermaterials of sufficient stiffness, such as for example, relatively hardplastic material. The remainder of the sealing element l'l preferably isof relatively soft flexible rubber or equivalent material, and comprisesa radially extending base portion 2|, preferably bonded upon thestiffening portion 20 or otherwise suitably .fixed thereto, and asealing flange 22 which is integral with the base portion 2| and has asealing lip 23 in running sealing engagement with the shaft l8.

It is to be observed that the base portion 2| of the sealing elementpreferably extends radially outwardly to a greater extent than thestiffening portion 20, and that a marginal or outer peripheral portionIla overlies the periphery of the stiffening portion 20 and presents asubstantial area of the soft rubber material of the sealing element infirm sealing engagement with the inner surfaces of the portions I2 andll of the shell.

The sealing flange 22 preferably is formed with an integral annular rib24 which aids substantially in holding in place a garter coil spring 25which exerts a compressive force upon the sealing flange 22, therebyenhancing the sealing engagement of the sealing lip 23 with the shaftl6.

It may be seen that the swaged-in flange I! need extend inwardly onlysufllciently to bring its inner periphery into axial alignment with theouter marginal portion of the stiffening portion III, thus to impose afirm clamping force upon the sealing element at the left side thereof asviewed in the drawings. At the opposite side of the sealing element, itmay be observed that the filler ring l8 need extend inwardly from thecylindrical wall [I of the shell only to an extent substantiallycorresponding to the radially inward extension of the radial flange l9,whereby to constitute with the latter a clamp for holding the sealingelement Il firmly in place in the assembly. The filler ring [8 is notrelied upon to support which it needs from the stiffening portion 20.

Inasmuch as the filler ring I8 is of relatively small dimensionradially, it will be seen that in the structures as illustrated in Figs.1 and 3 the sealing flange 22 may flex radially outwardly to aconsiderable extent in response either to malalignment of the shaft orwhipping of the latter without the filler ring in any way limiting suchaction of the flange and of the garter spring 25 associated therewith.

From Fig. 2, it may be seen that the portion 21a in a sealing ring, asmolded, may extend substantially beyond the outer periphery of thestiffening portion 20 and that to adapt sealing elements taken from agiven single mold for use in oil seals of various radial dimensions, itis necessary only to trim off outer marginal portions of the moldedsealing element along circular lines such as will give the sealingelement the desired over-all outside diameter; several such lines beingindicated by broken lines at 26 in the drawing. A broken line 21indicates the original possible periphery of a molded element from whichthe sealing element may have been cut to cause it to fit in the assemblyas shown in Fig. 1.

It should be obvious that with the use of a single mold, it is possibleto mold an over-size sealing element and that such an over-size elementfrom a single mold may be trimmed to any one of a substantial variety ofoutside diameters so that the single mold may serve to produce sealingelements for a variety of radial sizes of oil seals. Except for thisarrangement, it would 0bviously be necessary to provide for separatemolds for each size of sealing element and thus the mold cost would beduplicated for each and every radial size of oil seal to be produced.

Fig. 4 serves to illustrate how it is possible in a structure accordingto this invention to provide an oil seal of considerably reduced radialsectional diameter, which, however, will permit ample uninhibitedflexing of the sealing flange and a garter coil spring associatedtherewith. Aside from the mentioned permissible reduction in the radialsectional dimension of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 4, theprincipal difference of this embodiment, as compared to that illustratedin Figs. 1 and 3, resides in the provision of a modified filler ring 28which may be of suitable metal and have a cylindrical flange 28a in firmand preferably oil-tight engagement with the inner surface of thecylindrical wall l2 of the shell II, with the free edge of saidcylindrical flange seated firmly against the radial flange H of theshell. The filler ring 28 also has an integral radially inwardlyextending flange 28b which extends inwardly suificiently to avoidcutting into or embedding itself in the rubber base portion of thesealing element. The flanges l9 and 28b serve as clamping flangesbetween which the sealing element I1 is firmly held.

It may be observed that, although the embodiment of Fig. 4 results in anoil seal structure which is of relatively small radial dimension, it,nevertheless, provides ample radial space about the circumference of thegarter spring 25 to permit the latter and the sealing flange 22 to flexuninhibitedly to a considerable extent if necessary in the presence ofmalalignment or whipping of the shaft. It will also be perceived that,by employing the principles of the present invention, an oil seal likethat of Figure 4 could be of even smaller radially sectional dimensionthan shown, in relation to the other dimensions thereof.

In both the described embodiments, it may be seen that the portion 2|aof the sealing element presents a very substantial sealing surfaceincontact with the shell II and it will also be understood that, inassembling such devices, a substantial amount of axial pressure is setup in the sealing element as a result of the swaging-in of the flange IQof the shell. This axial pressure is substantially effective upon theflexible portion of the sealing element, located in the area directlybetween the filler ring I (or 28), the stiffening portion 20 and theportion of the shell which is in contact with the portion 2la of thesealing element, so that the rubber constituting the latter, and locatedwithin the described area, is literally squeezed to cause it to tend toflow in all directions when the flange I9 is swagedin, and thissqueezing effect induces an improved sealing effect between thementioned rubber portion of the sealing element and the various parts ofthe seal with which it is associated.

In addition to the advantages particularly pointed out in the detaileddescription of the illustrated embodiments, it should be obvious thatthe illustrated structures serve to fulfill the various objectshereinbefore recited.

It should also be obvious that the principles of this invention may alsobe employed in an oil seal which is fixed to an inner machine elementand effects a running seal with an outer machine element; also thatvarious structures other than those illustrated in the drawings, may beemployed to utilize the present inventive concept, without, however,departing from the invention defined [from] in the following claims.

What I claim is:

1, A sealing device for sealing an annular space between two relativelyrotatable machine elements, comprising an annular, relatively rigidshell adapted for fixed sealing engagement with one of said machineelements and having a cylindrical wall and a first radial flange; anannular sealing element having a radially extending 'base portion insubstantial axial alignment with and spaced axially from said radialflange and having a first peripheral portion of relatively soft,deformable material in fixed sealing contact over its entire axial widthwith said cylindrical wall and having a second peripheral portionadapted for running sealing engagement with the other of said machineelements; a filler ring disposed between said base portion and saidfirst radial flange; and the said shell having a second radial flangeextending alongside the said base portion at the side thereof remotefrom said filler ring; the said base portion having an integral,annular, substantially fiat stiil'ening member embedded therein at oneside thereof and in contact with said second radial flange and spacedfrom said cylindrical wall; and the said first peripheral portionextending about and in radial alignment with said stiffening member andbeing of greater axial thickness than the latter; the said firstperipheral portion of deformable material and the said stiffening memberbeing at least partly in substantial axial alignment with the saidfiller ring and with said second radial flange of the,

shell and under substantial axial compression therebetween, whereby todeform said deformable peripheral portion of the sealing ring intoenhanced sealing contact with the cylindrical wall of the shell.

2. A sealing device according to claim 1, the

annular marginal portion of increased overall axial thickness adjacentsaid cylindrical wall, the

added thickness bein of soft deformable material partly constitutingsaid first peripheral portion of the sealing element and on the side ofthe base portion of the sealing element'which is adjacent the fillerring; and the adjacent side of the filler ring being of a size which isat least substantially coextensive with the adjacent face of the Saidthickened portion; whereby the thickened portion increases the mass ofthe soft deformable material adjacent the cylindrical wall and, hence,facilitates the capacity of said deformable material to effectively sealwith said wall of the shell.

3. A sealing device for sealing an annular space between a rotatableshaft and an opening in a machine part irough which the shaft extends,comprising a cup shaped shell having an apertured 'bottorn through whichthe shaft may extend, and a cylindrical wall; a filler ring within saidshell in intimate contact with said bottom and said wall; a sealingelement comprising a rubber sealing member having a radial web, asleevelike sealing flange extending axially from the inner periphery ofsaid web and adapted to effect a running seal with such a shaft, and anouter peripheral portion for effecting a seal with the shell, and arigid, flat, annular stiffening member fixed to the side of said webremote from the sealing flange and extending radially outwardly short ofthe cylindrical wall of the shell with the said outer peripheral portionextending between the outer periphery of the stiffening member and theadjacent wall of the shell; and the free edge of the cylindrical wall ofthe shell extending radially inwardly into position axially overlyingboth said outer peripheral portion and an outer marginal portion of thestiffening member and in contact with both said outer peripheral portionand said stiffening member, whereby to hold the sealing element withinthe shell between said last mentioned radially inwardly extendingportion of the shell and the filler ring disposed there- 4. A device forsealing an annular space between two relatively rotatable machineelements comprising a shell having a cylindrical portion with anintegral inwardly extending radial flange at one end thereof, a sealingelement of relatively soft, flexible rubber-like material in said shelland having a sleeve-like sealing flange for effecting a running sealwith one of said relatively rotatable elements and a radial flangeextending into contact with the inner surface of the cylindrical portionof said shell, a flat, metal washer integral with the radial flange ofthe sealing element and disposed at the side thereof remote from thementioned sleeve-like sealing flange and having an outside diameter lessthan the inside diameter of the cylindrical portion of the shell with aperipheral portion of the rubber-like material of the sealing elementextending between the outer peripheral surface of said washer and theradially opposed adjacent inner cylindrical surface of the shell; a.filler ring disposed within the shell in contact at one end with thementioned radial flange of the shell and at its other end with theradial surface of the radial flange of the sealing element opposite tothe side of the radial flange which carries the washer; the free edge ofthe cylindrical portion of the shell being bent inwardly to such anextent as to embrace and contact an adjacent side of the said peripheralportion of the rubber-like material of the sealing element and tooverlie and contact an outer marginal portion of the mentioned washer.

5. A sealing device for sealing an annular space between two relativelyrotatable machine elements, comprising an annular, relatively rigidshell adapted for fixed sealing engagement with one of said machineelements and having n cylindrical wall and a first radial flange; anannular sealing element having a radially extending base portion insubstantial axial alignment with said radial flange and having a firstperipheral portion of relatively soft, deformable material in fixedsealing contact with said cylindrical wall and having a secondperipheral portion adapted for running sealing engagement with the otherof said machine elements; and the said shell having a second radialflange extending alongside the said base portion at the side thereofremote from said first flange; the said base portion having an integral,annular, substantially flat stiffening member embedded therein at oneside thereof and in contact with said second radial flange and spacedfrom said cylindrical wall; and the said first peripheral portionextending about and in radial alignment with said stiffening member andbeing of greater axial thickness than the latter; the said flrstperipheral portion of deformable material and the said stiffening memberbeing at least partly in substantial axial alignment with said first andsecond radial flanges of the shell and under substantial axialcompression therebetween, whereby to deform said deformable peripheralportion of the sealing ring into enhanced sealing contact with thecylindrical wall of the shell.

- 6. A'sealing device according to claim 5, the said base portion of thesealing element, including its mentioned stiffening member, having anannular marginal portion of increased overall axial thickness adjacentsaid first flange, the added thickness being of soft deformable materialpartly constituting said first peripheral portion of the sealing elementand on the side of the base portion of the sealing element which isadjacent the said flrst flange; and the adjacent side of the said firstflange being of a size which is at least substantially coextensive withthe adjacent face of the said thickened portion; whereby the thickenedportion increases the mass of the soft deformable material adfacent thecylindrical wall and, hence, facilitates the capacity of said deformablematerial to eflectively seal with said wall of the shell.

7. A sealing device for sealing an annular space between a rotatableshaft and an opening in a machine part through which the shaft extends,comprising a cup shaped shell having an apertured bottom through whichthe shaft may extend, and a cylindrical wall; a sealing elementcomprising a rubber sealing member having a radial web, a sleeve-likesealing flange extending axially from the inner periphery of said weband adapted to effect a running seal with such a shaft, and an outerperipheral portion for effecting a seal with the shell, and a rigid,flat, annular stiffening member fixed to the side of said web re motefrom the sealing flange and extending radially outwardly short of thecylindrical wall of the shell with the said outer peripheral portionextending between the outer periphery of the stiffening member and theadfacent wall of the shell; and the free edge of the cylindrical wall ofthe shell extending radially inwardly into position axially overlyingboth said outer peripheral portion and an outer marginal portion of thestiflening member and in contact with both said outer peripheral portionand said stifiening member, whereby to hold the sealing element withinthe shell between said last mentioned radially inwardly extendingportion of the shell and the bottom of the shell.

8. A device for sealing an annular space between two relativelyrotatable machine elements comprising a shell having a cylindricalportion with an integral inwardly extending radial flange at one endthereof, a sealing element of relatively soft, flexible rubber-likematerial in said shell and having a sleeve-like sealing flange foreflecting a running seal with one of said relatively rotatable elementsand a radial flange extending into contact with the inner surface of thecylindrical portion of said shell, a flat, metal washer integral withthe radial flange of the sealing element and disposed at the sidethereof remote from the mentioned sleeve-like sealing flange and havingan outside diameter less than the inside diameter 0 the cylindricalportion of the shell with a peripheral portion of the rubber-likematerial of 25 the sealing element extending between the outer 10peripheral surface of said washer and the radially opposed adjacentinner cylindrical surface of the shell; the free edge of the cylindricalportion of the shell being bent inwardly to such an extent as to embraceand contact an adjacent side of the said peripheral portion of therubber-like material of the sealing element and to overlie and contactan outer marginal portion of the mentioned washer.

ALBERT M. CHAMBERS, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent or the original patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,040,379 Heinze May 12, 19342,061,153 Heinze Nov. 17, 1938 2,106,385 Springer Jan. 25, 19382,124,866 Young July 26, 1938 2,227,771 Victor et a1. Jan. 7, 1941FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 479,743 Great Britain of 1938

